Korelya Capital

Paris, London, Seoul and Singapore are the four cities where Korelya Capital keeps offices, a spread that reflects its main idea: European technology companies should have capital for growth and a route into Asian markets.

Origins and size

Korelya was founded in 2016 by a former French minister for innovation and the digital economy. It is part of the Korelya Groupe and, according to its site, manages more than eight hundred million euros.

Europe's future champions

The firm believes the next global technology champions will be European. It looks for talented founders with global ambitions and says it sources against well-defined investment theses and criteria, quickly recognising when a business is not a fit. Once it partners with a founder it says it becomes highly engaged, because it knows the difficulties of scaling across several markets.

The Asian connection

Strong ties with major Asian corporates and with technology ecosystems in Asia are what the firm says set it apart. Recent portfolio news on its site shows the range: a Spanish mental-health company, a Korean chip designer, a Korean travel business, a German electric vehicle subscription company, a refurbished e-bike marketplace, a flexible living platform, a Barcelona marketplace backed by Korea's Naver, and a Polish crypto-related business.

Sustainability

The firm argues that sustainability should be on every company's agenda from the start, for ethical and economic reasons, and says it has set itself goals and an action plan, aiming to lead by example among its portfolio companies.

The kinds of company it backs

Its site groups portfolio companies by theme: a fast-growing mobility platform, a European consumer-to-consumer fashion marketplace, the leading Spanish consumer-to-consumer marketplace and a consumer technology subscription platform. Its news items add a mental health service for employers and insurers, an AI chip designer from South Korea, an electric car subscription business, a refurbished e-bike marketplace, a flexible living platform, a business-to-business buy now pay later provider, an electronics rental subscription business and a crypto payments company from Poland. Some of these rounds were co-led with other investors.

Korelya Capital is a venture firm that backs European technology start-ups and links them to Asian markets. Its stated aim is to help global technology champions emerge from Europe.

What Korelya Capital does

• Growth capital: investment in ambitious European start-ups.
• Access to Asia: ties with Asian corporations and technology ecosystems that help portfolio companies expand there.
• Thesis-driven sourcing: looks for companies against defined investment themes and criteria.
• Engaged support: works closely with founders on the challenge of scaling across several markets.
• Sustainability plan: sets its own sustainability goals and encourages portfolio companies to do likewise.

Who it serves

European founders with global ambitions. Its site cites Wallapop, a Barcelona marketplace backed with Korean investor Naver.

Key facts

• Offices: Paris, London, Seoul and Singapore
• Focus: European technology companies